What Goes On Inside?
by Just4FunFiction
Summary: Arnold does so much for his community, and the people around him, that you have to wonder how much he could take before he snaps. And what happens when he does snap? Enter Dr Bliss.


Dr. Bliss sat in her office, having just finished with her three o'clock client. She looked around her blue-walled office, glancing at the numerous photos, certificates and newspaper clippings that were either hung upon her wall or in frames on her drawers and bookshelf. She stood up, slowly walking over to the window and staring out at Hillwood, with the sun shining down on the busy streets. While by no means a large city, it was a well-known location by many. This was particularly the case because of an incident from not long ago, when the nearby neighbourhood was saved from being torn down after three kids found proof that declared it a national landmark.

'I remember it quite clearly,' she thought, 'that Scheck was a creep.' She inwardly laughed to herself. 'It's a shame I never got to work with him. That would have been interesting.' A knock at her door drew her from her current train of thought. "Come in!" she called, looking towards the door.

As it opened, a small, nine-year-old boy with blonde hair and a football-shaped head, wearing a green jumper over a plaid shirt, blue jeans, sneakers and a blue baseball hat walked in. He seemed to have an irritated expression on his face. "Are you Dr. Bliss?" he asked. His voice further showed his irritation, but she knew it was not directed at him. "I know this is short notice, but I appreciate you being able to fit me in."

"Not at all, Arnold," she told him, walking to her chair, "I'm happy to have you. If I may ask, how were you referred to me?"

"Well, a girl in my class gave me your number, so I rang up to make an appointment, so here I am."

Bliss nodded. She secretly knew who the student Arnold mentioned was, as she was another of her clients, but she didn't reveal that out of confidentiality. "I see. So, please. Take a seat." Arnold nodded as he took a seat on the couch, and she sat in her chair. "Are you comfortable, or would you prefer to sit here?"

"I'm fine."

"Would you care for anything to drink while we have our session?"

"No, thank you." Arnold's response was a bit snappier this time, which Bliss made a note of.

"Okay. So, since you referred yourself for this treatment, may I ask why you came here?"

He huffed. "Well, I guess there's no point in drawing it out." He glanced down at his feet as he explained, his hands held together in front of him. "Lately, I've been feeling a lot of anger issues."

"I see. Are you known to be angry to people usually, or has this been a relatively new discovery?"

"I've only noticed it for a week. Before then, I was usually quite docile."

"So, why do you think that has come about?"

"I don't know. Things haven't changed as far as I can tell- I don't feel different in any other way, people haven't been treating me differently." He looked up at Dr. Bliss. "Or, at least, they weren't at first."

She raised an eyebrow. "Not at first? What makes you say that?"

"Well, about a week ago, when I first felt angry, it was just another day. A couple of people came over to ask me for my help, like they tend to do, and for no reason, I yelled at them to fix it themselves."

"So, you are usually the problem solver of your friend group."

"I guess you could say that. Usually, people ask me if I can help them with something- and I don't just mean my friends at school, because it can sometimes be the boarders I live with or teachers, or sometimes I even help people who start off as perfect strangers."

"That sounds like a lot of responsibility for someone your age."

"I guess so, but it hasn't been a problem for me before. Normally, I'm happy to help people."

"So, you get a sense of achievement from helping people?" He thought for a second, before nodded. "Tell me- before your first outburst," he winced a little at how severely she phrased it, "had you been getting that same feeling from helping people, or had it not been there?"

He took a moment to think back. "I guess it was still there…"

"But not as much?" she asked when she noticed him trailing off.

"No. I don't know why that was the case either."

"Okay. Before I continue, just look behind you." He turned and saw the punching bag behind the sofa, made to look like a clown. "If at any point in this session you feel yourself getting angry, feel free to take it out on the punching bag." He nodded, then turned back around. "So, returning to the initial incident. How did the two people react to that?"

"Well, they were understandably shocked. It was the first time I had refused to help people of my free will." He sensed she was about to ask what he meant, so he answered before she could. "There was a bet a while back that I couldn't go a day without helping people."

"Ah," she said, jotting that down, "okay. Carry on."

"Well, they just walked away. My friend Gerald asked me if I was okay, but I shrugged him off, telling him it was nothing. For the week that followed, I kind of distanced myself from people. At first, people were just hesitant about asking me, and it made me feel angry that they couldn't just ask me, so I snapped at them to tell me, but they would just walk away. Then, a couple of days later, I would start snapping at people if they even talked to me and stopped hanging out with most people. I would be sat by myself at lunch and walk alone to school instead of taking the bus, but Gerald still hangs around me. It wasn't until today, before I made the appointment, that he helped me see that I was getting so angry."

"Would you like to talk about that?"

"I guess." Arnold scratched behind his head. "Well, he walked up to me before class, and came straight out with it. He just told me that he didn't like how angry and hostile I'd become, and that he wished I would go back to being how I was before."

"And how did you react to him telling you this?"

"I yelled at him. I told him that I was aware of how angry I had become, and that I didn't know why." He balled up his fists as his face formed a frown. "I don't LIKE being this angry, I don't WANT to be so angry! I liked being able to help people, I just…" he took a breath to calm down, then unclenched his fists. "I don't know how this started, but I just want it to end."

As she wrote this down, she started to make some connections in what Arnold was saying. 'This is very curious,' she thought. Looking up at him, she gave Arnold a warm smile. "Well, Arnold, it sounds like you're a very kind and generous young boy, with all that you do to help people, but with everything you do, it just adds pressure that eventually warrants an emotional reaction. What causes that pressure, however, I cannot say for certain." She walked over to a nearby drawer and picked up a picture from on top of it. She walked over to the sofa and sat next to Arnold. "Arnold, I want you to look at this picture. As I point out different people, I would like you to tell me how they treated you before you became angry."

"Okay." Looking at the picture, he realised it was of his class. The first person she pointed to was Stinky. "That's Stinky. He and I tended to get along quite well, and he was never mean to anyone. I helped him a few times, and he was quite appreciative." She nodded, before moving her finger along the photo. "Sid and I got on, and while he can be quite paranoid, he never held a grudge for long or openly mocked me... Sheena and I don't speak much, but she's always been kind… Again, I don't speak much with Nadine, but we got along… Rhonda has a tendency to let her class influence her, but she's very nice, and we get along, especially when we do geography projects together… I don't speak much with Brainy or Curly, but I don't have issues with either of them… Harold is kind of a bully, but he's a good guy. Any time he does tease me, I know it's not spiteful, and he doesn't really mean any harm… Eugene is quite accident-prone, but he's a really optimistic guy. Even though he tried to go 'bad' at one time, he couldn't say a bad word about anyone. He's even been one of the few people who still talks to me despite my anger."

"This is all very good, Arnold," she told him. She then pointed to the picture of Gerald. "And what about this boy?"

Arnold let out a light laugh. "That would be Gerald. He's been my best friend for over six years. We've had a couple of fights over the years, but we've stuck by each other, and helped each other no matter what."

"It sounds like you and him are going to be like that for a few more, at least." She then pointed at Phoebe. "What about her?"

"Phoebe? I don't speak with her too often, but we get along. Gerald tends to hang out with her more, but that's because he likes her."

She couldn't help but laugh at this. "Is that so?"

"He tries to deny it, but I know that's how he really feels."

"You have a good energy about you, Arnold. And don't worry, I won't be revealing any of this." She then moved her finger over to Helga's image in the photo. "And lastly, what about her?"

When Helga, saw who it was, he frowned slightly. "That would be Helga…" he sighed, looking to his feet. "We don't exactly have the best understanding of each other. She acts like a bully, and she seems to particularly focus that on me, calling me 'Football Head', spit balling me in class, among other things."

"And that makes you mad at her?"

"That's the confusing part about her. I don't hate her for that- in fact, I don't hate her at all. But I really don't like that it's not the real her."

Dr. Bliss put down the photo and returned to her chair, picking up her pad and pen. "What makes you think that isn't the real her?"

"Well, like everyone else in my class, I met her over six years ago, on my first day at play school. It was raining and she was covered in mud, so I put my umbrella over her while we went inside. I told her I liked her bow, and she started to be friends with me."

"That sounds really nice of you, Arnold."

"We were friends for a little while, but then one day, something happened. I don't recall, what exactly, but she just started to boss people around and act mean to everyone, including me. I know that the real her is a kind and caring person, but she pushes people away, and the few times she doesn't, she acts as if it is just heat of the moment, or if it's a one-time thing. I just wish that she would open up more and show people her true self, rather than this cold exterior."

She wrote this down, even though she already knew this from her sessions with Helga prior to this. "I see. Is there any particular reason you feel like you want her to show her true self?"

"I don't know… she did once tell me she loves me, and while she passed it off as heat of the moment, I think she was telling the truth."

Bliss widened her eyes a little, but not enough for Arnold to notice. 'So, she finally told him,' she thought, remembering how frenzied Helga was when she confessed in their session, 'well done, Helga.' "And how do you feel about her?"

"I mean, I'm flattered that she feels that way, but she's a bit too passionate, from how she told me, and I couldn't feel that way about her unless she showed her true self. I want to be friends with her, I really do, but I need her to be more honest about who she is."

While a little sad for Helga, she didn't reveal it out of professionalism. "That's fair. No one can force you to fall in love with someone. Either way, it sounds like you do care about her, and all of your friends, so you really want to help them out. However, it could be possible that you're giving yourself pressure by helping them, because you don't want to disappoint them."

"It could?"

"Mhmm. It's understandable, and as I previously mentioned, you're very young, so it will be easier to manage thus with maturity." She decided to look at a different angle, as she flipped the page on her pad to start a new one. "If I may ask, what is your home life like?"

He blinked for a second. "My home life?" he asked, just to make sure he hadn't misheard. She nodded. "Everything at home is fine."

"So, you get along well with the boarders you mentioned?"

"Yeah, we get along fine. They're very peculiar people, and I've had to help them more than a few times, but they're like family to me."

"And what about your parents? Do you help them around the house as well?" Unknowingly to her, this struck a nerve in Arnold. He felt a little bit of his tension resurface, causing him to pull on his collar. "If this is something you don't feel comfortable talking about, then I understand."

"No, it's okay." He took a second before he continued. "The truth is I don't live with my parents." She wanted to ask more, but noticed that he was going to continue, so she decided to write as he spoke. "My parents are both scientists, and they travelled the world to help people. They met in San Lorenzo, where they met a tribe called the Green Eyed People. They helped them out, and accepted them as members of the tribe. They were married there, and I was born there, before they moved back to Hillwood. They stayed for a couple of years, but they went back to help when the tribe grew sick, and they left me with my grandparents."

"That must have been hard for you, seeing your parents leave at such a young age and growing up without them."

He nodded. "I appreciate everything my grandparents have done to take care of me, and I love them dearly, but I can't help but miss my parents." He took off his hat and held it in front of them. "This hat is one of the last things I have of them. I don't know if they're even alive or not."

"I can imagine. Do you feel any anger towards them for leaving?"

"No. I wish they hadn't, but I know that they had to do it, and I still have my grandparents."

"As true as that is, if your parents had stayed, would you see your grandparents any less than you do now?"

Arnold opened his mouth, but then quickly shut it. "I… guess not."

She nodded, before placing her pad on the table. "Arnold, it seems to me that you feel a need to help people, because that is what your parents do, and since they've not been around to help you, you don't want to be unable to help anyone, in the fear of leaving the people you care about. Because of that, you've subconsciously been giving yourself additional pressure to make sure you help people no matter what, and it has only just triggered a response, because you're starting to realise that no matter what, and no matter how many people you help, it won't help you in the way your parents would have."

"I… never thought of it like that."

She let out a chuckle. "Nobody expects you to. You're only nine, Arnold, and you're doing things that many adults don't know how to do. Believe it or not, Arnold, you've made quite a name for yourself. Your deeds have often been documented in local newspapers, including the Future Tech incident."

"Really?" She nodded. "Wow! I didn't even know. I was just trying to help."

"And nobody can expect more from you. Now, in regard to your anger, I think that it is good that it has emerged now, rather than later. My best recommendation for you would be to act like everything was before, but remember that you're helping people because it is who you are, not what anyone else expects you to be. If you remind yourself that every so often, it will relieve the pressure."

"Would it be that easy for me to go back, though? To how things were? I mean, everyone seems to know me as the angry guy now."

"Just explain to them that you've been feeling stressed, and you've not been your usual self, because from what you've told me, that sounds like the truth. If you tell them that, then they should forgive you, and everything will go back to how it was."

He looked at her, thinking about her suggestion, before giving a smile. "Okay. I think that will work. Thank you, Dr. Bliss."

"It's my pleasure, Arnold. You remind me of some of my colleagues, actually- nothing pleases them more than feeling like they helped someone."

"Do you get that feeling?"

"I do. It's one of life's greatest gifts, the ability to help people, and not everyone knows how to use it, but as long as someone can, then everything will work out." She looked at her watch. "I think that will wrap up our session." Reaching into her pocket, she handed him a card. "If you ever feel your issues return, or you have something else you need to speak about, give me a call."

"I will, thank you." He took the card and shook her hand, before standing up. "Have a nice day."

"You too, Arnold." She watched as the football-headed boy walked out of the door, closing it behind him, and gave a content sigh. "I must say, that was a rather refreshing experience. He is a charming young boy, and I think he will go on to do many good things for this world." She laughed as a thought came to her mind. "Who knows? Maybe he'll become a therapist too."

THE END


End file.
